Canada Focus

This has been a very busy month for the Canadian intercessor! A very big thank you in the Lord for all those in other nations who prayed for Canada during the visit of the DL. The growing international networks of prayer are very powerful as we agree together in Christ according to the will of God. We were also on a roller-coaster of hope and expectation over Bill C-250, (sexual orientation in hate crime law), but after three years of trying it finally became law. How could this be unless strong backing at the highest level from Chrétien and Martin supported it. The Government like Pharaoh of old has hardened its heart against the Word of God but this is from the Lord! One day a sovereign God will show His glory in a pure spotless Bride from the Canadian Church. Everything in history is relentlessly building toward the return of Christ for the Church and world events must be seen in the light of His strategic genius as the powers of darkness fail. The intercessor can take authority in prayer through the Word of God. The Lord holds the whip handle!

Psalm 46:6 The nations are in an uproar, and kingdoms crumble! God thunders and the earth melts!
Psalm 113:4 For the LORD is high above the nations; his glory is far greater than the heavens.
Isaiah 10:5-7 "Destruction is certain for Assyria, the whip of my anger. Its military power is a club in my hand. Assyria will enslave my people, who are a godless nation. It will plunder them, trampling them like dirt beneath its feet. But the king of Assyria will not know that it is I who sent him. He will merely think he is attacking my people as part of his plan to conquer the world."

The following is a strategic prayer guide for the upcoming G8 Summit in the States next month. It was produced by Peter and Pip Gardner who head up the Institute for Global Affairs and were instrumental in directing prayer for the Summit two years ago in Canada at Kananaskis. We would like to encourage Canadians and other Nations to stand alongside our American brothers and sisters as they host the G8 meetings. For further information on the G8, please visit the website of the local group in Atlanta at www.g8prayer.org andwww.g8.gc.ca for additional information on the G8 itself.

PRAYER GUIDE FOR G8 SUMMIT - JUNE 8-10, 2004

What is the Group of Eight

The Group of Eight was first held in France in 1975. A European idea launched by President Giscard of France and Chancellor Schmidt of Germany. They saw the summits as occasional, freestanding events, very much the personal instrument of the leaders. But the Americans, President Ford and Henry Kissinger his Secretary of State, always saw the summit as an institution for systematic co-operation on economic policy among the participating countries and for influencing the wider world. By calling the second summit in June 1976, President Ford started that a regular series of summits should be held each year in the summer.

Although originally established to overview global economic developments it has extended itself to also cover almost all aspects of global affairs. The group of 8 forms the most powerful annual gathering of Heads of State. Between them they form the majority of the Security Council. They are the main financial givers to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. They control 95% of the world’s nuclear arsenal and can dominate all the other global governmental organizations. The group of eight consists of the Heads of State from the USA, Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, United Kingdom and Japan. It is anticipated that in the next 2-3 years China will be the next nation state to join the group of eight as a full member particularly as it is now received membership of the World Trade Organization. Also attending annual summits is the President of the European Commission and also the Head of State from the Nation that currently holds the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the European Union. Sometimes the President of the World Bank and IMF and the Secretary General of the UN also attend. They have freedom to invite other Heads of State as they wish.

Prior to the annual summit several other mini summits are held in the host country. These are normally held in the nation’s capital but can be held in other cities of the host nation. There is normally a summit for the Foreign ministers, another for the finance ministers and any other group of top ministers it is considered appropriate to gather.

2004 Annual Summit - Georgia, USA, June 8-10th

This year 40 other heads of state have been invited to attend the G8 summit for side meetings. So altogether there will be 49 Heads of State in attendance along with approximately 10 others who lead other global governmental organizations and regional country organizations. A list of who the extra 40 Heads of State will be will be sent to you when the information is made available.

The following points are provided to help in understanding this year’s annual summit.

It is clear from observation and also statements made by those who work in the global governmental sphere that at the global level there is a crisis and a shaking of confidence regarding the management and leadership of the global community. This is reflected in the strained relationships between the G8 leaders themselves, and strong disagreement concerning the direction to be adopted to bring resolution to the many aspects of global crisis.

From what has been made known regarding the agenda of this year’s annual summit, ‘Global Security’ will be at the top of the list.

It has been stated that a plan will be unveiled regarding changes to be pursued to radically change the governments of the Middle East and governments within the region of South East Asia. This reflects the US’s conviction that to democratise these areas of the world will significantly deal with the issues that give rise to particularly Islamic terrorist activity.

Other agenda items will revolve around this theme of ‘global security’ and will include continuing plans to strengthen global co-operation against terrorist activity throughout the world.

The global economy will also figure within the agenda of the G8 and some other regular matters.

What perspective can we hold to help understand the significance of these summits and the advance of the gospel worldwide?

All the issues within the agenda of global governmental organizations relate to the shape of the world, how it is governed, and what is considered to be acceptable and unacceptable. All of this affects the spiritual climate that reigns across the nations of the world which directly affects the completion of the great commission. The decisions made by global governmental organizations and their leaders serve to form global gateways into the heavens. Our prayers regarding these global governmental gateway summits allows the governmental hand of God to come upon global decisions. Change at the global level means change for all nations.

What attitude should we have toward World Leaders

God loves these world leaders. We want their decision to be a blessing to the world. They cannot be a blessing unless they are blessed. Our prayers for them personally is that God will release wisdom and understanding and courage to do what is right in God’s sight. Our aggressiveness in prayer comes against the spiritual demonic forces who desire to blind and manipulate these leaders for destructive purposes.

The Scene on the Ground

Power Attracts Power. When the G8 is held it always draws other power groups to its doorstep. Normally 100,000 protesters from throughout the world come to make their voice heard. 5500 media personnel converge to broadcast the event. International occultic groups converge around the summit site to activate their powers. 20,000 security personal along with all the modern protective military equipment and strategies are deployed. Hospitals and emergency services receive further training to deal with tragedies from nuclear and biological bombs. The food eaten by the security services is poison tested. All of this points to both the high level of tension and significance of these global summits.

PRAYER POINTS

Pray for each Head of State and their advisors. Pray that God will intervene in their opinions and the positions they form over the major issues that will be on their agenda. A prayer diary that you can follow with others is posted on the following website -www.g8prayer.org

Pray for the summit of church leaders who will be meeting one week prior to the G8 summit and then again during the summit dates. Pray for clear revelation and direction in prayer so that God can rule in the midst of the decisions of these Kings of the Earth.

Begin to pray for the Spirit of God to come upon the Sea Island area - to dispel the powers of darkness and fill it with His Angelic forces.

Set aside the days of June 8 - 10th. There will be at least 3 major worship/prayer summits in 3 different cities within the USA specifically gathering to worship and pray over these dates. There will also be several international prayer movements who will be joining together in prayer over these days.

Pray for the Core team based in Atlanta as they prepare the body in the region and in the US for the G8 summit. Pray for wisdom and understanding as they see what to undo spiritually in Georgia that will aid the enemy in how he wants to use the G8 summit for destruction.

Pray that the authorities will discover any terrorist plots against the Heads of State.

Further more specific prayer points will be released closer to the time of the summit.

Intercessors for Canada

Intercessors for Canada is a group of Canadian Christian leaders and intercessors who seek God to hear what He is saying to our nation. It is our prayer that through the ministry of IFC you will be strengthened in your prayer life, and that a Spirit of Prayer will come upon you for Canada.